Category Archives: Science & Technology

Bengaluru doctors perform rare heart surgery

Amazing Feats, Science & Technology, World Opinion

US citizen diagnosed with aortic valve disease, saved by intervention

Jim (58), from California, was on a business trip to India. On reaching Bengaluru, the fever that had subsided before his travel flared up again and he was brought to a private hospital in Sarjapura road. He was diagnosed with aortic valve disease.

Jim had been aware of his condition but never affected by it. In fact, he had participated in a marathon just a month ago.

Dr Joseph Xavier, the chief cardiac surgeon, Columbia Asia Hospital, Sarjapura Road performed the complicated surgery. “Due to significant aortic valve incompetence, blood that was being pumped out of the heart was flowing back into it, putting it under severe strain. Blood culture reports indicated that bacteria had already started developing in the blood. There was a fluid collection in his lungs and the other organs weren’t receiving getting enough blood, resulting in gradual failure of the kidneys and liver,” explained Dr Xavier.

The doctors found that the infection was destroying the valve and the heart muscles and the antibiotics would not clear the infection unless the source within the heart was removed.

Dr Xavier said, “This meant an open heart surgery to replace the infected and destroyed valve and its surrounding tissue. This was a tough call for the cardiac surgical team. If they waited to see whether the antibiotics worked, the kidney and liver failure would worsen making the post-surgery recovery difficult. But there was a good chance that after the operation, the replaced valve could get infected.”

However, the chief cardiac surgeon felt it’s better to ward of the post-operative organ failure and take a chance with a recurrence of infection. The decision paid off, Jim had a successful operation.

Dr Xavier added, “It was a difficult decision to operate on active infection of the heart valve as the tissue inside was in a state like butter, and it is very difficult to fix the valve in such cases. Also, the possibility of the implanted valve getting infected is very high in such a situation. The failing organs like kidney and liver because of the bloodstream infection were an added risk. Fortunately, after the operation, the patient recovered quickly and went home on the 12th day.”

source:http://www.bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Bangalore> Others / by Kumaran P., Bangalore Mirror Bureau / September 29th, 2018

Winners of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology 2018 announced

Amazing Feats, Records, All, Science & Technology

Dr Aditi Sen De is the only female winner this year

On the occasion of its foundation day, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has put out the list of recipients of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology for 2018.

Every year, several scientists below the age of 45 are selected from various institutions across the country and awarded for their outstanding scientific work in the last five years.

Here is the full list of winners this year in various categories

Category Winner Affiliation
Biological Sciences Dr Ganesh Nagaraju IISc Bengaluru
Dr Thomas Pucadyil IISER Pune
Chemical Sciences Dr Rahul Banerjee IISER Kolkata
Dr Swadhin Kumar Mandal IISER Kolkata
Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences Dr Madineni Venkat Ratnam National Atmospheric Research Laboratory, Tirupati
Dr Parthasarathi Chakraborty CSIR-NIO, Goa
Engineering Sciences Dr Amit Agrawal IIT Bombay
Dr Ashwin Anil Gumaste IIT Bombay
Mathematical Sciences Dr Amit Kumar IIT Delhi
Dr Nitin Saxena IIT Kanpur
Medical Sciences Dr Ganesan Venkatasubramanian NIMHANS, Bengaluru
Physical Sciences Dr Aditi Sen De Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Allahabad
Dr Ambarish Ghosh IISc Bengaluru

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sci-Tech / by The Hindu Net Desk / September 26th, 2018

Infosys gets $80.3 million contract from Canadian firm

Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion
The logo of Infosys is pictured inside the company's headquarters in Bengaluru. File | Photo Credit: Reuters
The logo of Infosys is pictured inside the company’s headquarters in Bengaluru. File | Photo Credit: Reuters

The new platform will enable PSPC to purchase various goods and services through a single portal.

Infosys Public Services on Monday announced that it has been awarded a computer-aided design contract worth $80.3 million by Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) to modernise and automate their procurement processes.

IPS is working with Ernst & Young and SAP Canada to digitise PSPC procurement system through the implementation and management of a cloud-based electronic procurement solution. The new solution will provide an intuitive, web-based portal for PSPC and its suppliers to access procurement information and services in both English and French, according to a company statement.

The new platform will enable PSPC to purchase various goods and services through a single portal, easily configure specific requirements, and access data, reporting, and analytics information in real-time to support more effective decision-making.

Based on the experience within PSPC, the government will determine whether to expand the solution to other federal departments and agencies. Provincial and municipal organizations will later be offered an option to use this new platform to streamline their procurement processes and reduce the administrative burden while engaging with more than 183,000 government suppliers.

As the prime system integrator, Infosys will implement the SAP-based solution and set up a network that provides tier 1, 2 and 3 support services. EY Canada will facilitate the design and deployment of future state processes and enabling technology to support the PSPC procurement modernization agenda. EY Canada will also provide change management and training support as the program gets rolled out.

“Navigating their programs and services to a digital future requires organizations to not only identify the right technologies to implement but also to enable them quickly and at scale,” said Eric Paternoster, Chief Executive Officer, Infosys Public Services.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Business> Industry / by Special Correspondent / Bengaluru – September 24th, 2018

Udupi’s Shilpa Bhat selected as Google Indie Accelerator Mentor

Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology

Shilpa oversees production of game titles at 99Games including Game Design, Development and Analytics.

Shilpa Bhat
Shilpa Bhat

Udupi :

Shilpa Bhat, Vice President – Games, 99Games is the only woman gaming expert from India chosen by Google to mentor Indies across APAC region at Google’s Indie Games Accelerator programme to be held at Singapore on September 24. The term ‘Indie’ is used to refer to promising and upcoming gaming companies across the world.

Indie Games Accelerator is a four month programme for top indie game start ups from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam who are looking to supercharge their growth on Android.

Mentorship sessions will cover a broad variety of game topics including technical development, design, gameplay, user retention, user acquisition, monetization and team leadership.

There will be personalised mentorship from top experts from Google and the gaming industry during this programme. Shilpa will be leading five mentorship sessions around a comprehensive gaming curriculum across Game Development including design best practices, Google Platforms (Android Studio, AR Core, Firebase, Google Cloud, Instant Games), Unity.

Shilpa who hails from Ajjarakad in Udupi is a Computer Engineering (BTech) from MIT, Manipal. Participants of the programme will have access to leading game experts from Google as well as from leading game studios and institutions around the world.

Shilpa told TNIE: “Having started as an indie studio ourselves, it is my privilege to be considered as a mentor for other Indies by Google. The Indie Accelerator programme is an excellent initiative and I look forward to participating in it, interacting with upcoming indies, sharing my knowledge and learning from their experienc.” Shilpa also said her most fierce critic is her 11-year-old daughter Tanya who does not hesitate in giving her unbiased opinion on games under development.

Shilpa oversees production of game titles at 99Games including Game Design, Development and Analytics. She started her career as OpenGL developer and has 16 years of industry experience. She has led the production of stand out hits like Dhoom:3 The Game, Sultan: The Game and Star Chef. Star Chef, is the best monetised global game from an Indian developer.

Rohith Bhat, CEO of 99Games told TNIE: “9Games has created a name for itself by creating successful mobile games for female gamers across the globe. Now that mobile games are becoming popular in India as well, we are thrilled that Shilpa has been chosen by Google as the only female mentor from India to groom indie studios from across Asia.”

99Games is India’s leading developer and publisher of games of international standards for Global and Indian consumers. It takes pride in creating India’s most successfully monetised game ‘Star Chef’ and one of India’s most downloaded game ‘Dhoom:3 The Game’. 99Games has published over 22 game titles and has clocked in more than million downloads globally till date. It has a unique growth strategy of addressing the global and Indian market.

With a highly experienced and stable management team working collaboratively for over five years and a team of 85, 99Games is considered as thought leaders in the Indian gaming industry. 99Games has raised multiple rounds of investments from quality institutional investors – Dream Incubator, Kalaari Capital and Ascent Capital.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Prakash Samaga, Express News Service / September 25th, 2018

Google’s tribute to engineer par excellence

Amazing Feats, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion
A doodle dedicated to Sir M. Visvesvaraya, on his 158 th birth anniversary.
A doodle dedicated to Sir M. Visvesvaraya, on his 158 th birth anniversary.

A special doodle, featuring Sir M. Visvesvaraya wearing the Mysuru peta against the backdrop of an engineering marvel

Google honoured one of the greatest Indian engineers, Sir M. Visvesvaraya, on his 158th birth anniversary with a special doodle, featuring him wearing the Mysuru peta against the backdrop of an engineering marvel, the Krishna Raja Sagar dam, built across the Cauvery river.

Visvesvaraya oversaw construction of his design for the dam and lake, which was at that time the largest reservoir in the country, providing drinking water to several cities.

Google.com, in its tribute on Saturday, said, “Living by the phrase ‘Work is Worship,’ Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya — fondly known as Sir MV — devoted his life to engineering. A master of irrigation design, the world-renowned civil engineer became so respected in his field that India celebrates Engineers Day each year on his birthday. While some sources cite his birth year as 1861, after speaking to his family, we’ve learned that Sir MV was actually born a year earlier.”

Visvesvaraya was born to a humble family in a small village Muddenahalli in Chickaballapur district in Karnataka. His father, a Sanskrit scholar, passed away when Visvesvaraya was very young. “According to stories passed down over generations, Sir MV had to walk over 60 km to Bengaluru to attend United Mission School, eating the food served in temples around the city, and studying under street lamps,” Google said in its post.

After completing his schooling, he earned a B.A. from Madras University in 1881, and went on to study civil engineering at the College of Science in Pune. As a young graduate, Visvesvaraya took up a job with the Public Works Department of the then Bombay Presidency, and later joined the Indian Irrigation Commission. He is credited with establishing extremely intricate systems of irrigation in the Deccan area. His flood protection system for Hyderabad and his irrigation plans for Visakhapatnam made him something of a celebrity.

He was conferred knighthood by the British Empire under King George V. In 1909, he became the Chief Engineer of Mysore and three years later, the Dewan of Mysore.

In 1918, he resigned from the post in protest over the Maharaja’s decision to set aside state jobs for non-Brahmins. By this time, he had helped establish the University of Mysore, the State Bank of Mysore, Bangalore Agricultural University, Mysore Chamber of Commerce, among other institutions.

He was known for his love for the Kannada language, and was instrumental in setting up the Kannada Parishat.

True to the title of his autobiography ‘Memoirs of my working life’, his devotion to work continued till the last days of his life. He was honoured with the Bharat Ratna in 1952. He passed away in Bengaluru on April 12, 1962.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Staff Reporter / September 15th, 2018

Samsung opens its largest experience store in Bengaluru

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology
The newly opened Samsung store in Bengaluru. | Photo Credit: Reuters
The newly opened Samsung store in Bengaluru. | Photo Credit: Reuters

Renovated Opera House will showcase experiences revolving around niche technologies

The iconic ‘Opera House’ will now showcase experiences revolving around Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things. Samsung Electronics on Tuesday opened its world’s largest mobile experience centre in Bengaluru. The Opera House on Brigade Road, which has been renovated and restored, will bring together technology, lifestyle and innovation to offer people unique experiences.

“Noida got the world’s largest mobile factory and now Bengaluru has got the world’s largest mobile experience centre,” said H.C. Hong, President and CEO, Samsung SouthWest Asia, at an event here. “Samsung has taken a leap from ‘make in India to make for India’ and now ‘make for the world’,” said Mr. Hong.

The standalone property as big as a shopping mall has been named ‘Samsung Opera House’, and will showcase experiences revolving around niche technologies.

For instance, Samsung said, one can slip into the role of a fighter pilot doing extreme aircraft stunts and experience a space battle, or a roller coaster ride, using these technologies. The other virtual experiences include kayaking or rowing as well as cycling through scenic Europe.

“From the outside, it looks like a piece of art and from the inside, a tech paradise that the people of this city… will cherish,” said Stephanie Choi, senior vice president, global head of retail, mobile division, Samsung.

The South Korean conglomerate will also showcase its full line up of smartphones and wearable devices at the experience centre alongside flagship consumer electronics products such as the QLED TV, Smart TVs, The Frame, and Family Hub refrigerators.

Startup hub

The facility aims at becoming the hub for events organized around fitness, gaming, music, movies, food, stand-up comedy and startups. The facility will also have a fully functional customer service centre and is equipped with high-speed public Wi-Fi.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Peerzada Abrar / Bengaluru – September 12th, 2018

India’s first 205 tonne dump truck by BEML launched in Mysuru

Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology
Making history: The indigenously designed 205T Electric Drive Rear Dump Truck (Model BH 205-E)
Making history: The indigenously designed 205T Electric Drive Rear Dump Truck (Model BH 205-E)

The truck has been developed for use in the project of Northern Coalfields Limited, Singrauli

The country’s first 205T Electric Drive Rear Dump Truck (BH205-E) – designed and developed at the Mysuru plant of Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) – was flagged off here on Monday.

A premier manufacturer of mining and construction equipments, BEML, a PSU under the Ministry of Defence, developed the gargantuan dump truck to reinforce the ‘Make in India’ initiative by addressing the growing demand for higher capacity equipments in the mining industry.

The dump truck has been developed for use in the project of Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL), Singrauli.

P.K. Sinha, chairman and MD, NCL; and Deepak Kumar Hota, chairman and MD, BEML, flagged off the new generation truck at an event on the BEML company campus.

After flagging off the truck, the dignitaries were taken on a drive in the campus to help them experience the vehicle’s engineering and making by the staff of BEML, one of the leading multi-technology ‘Miniratna Category 1’ company.

BEML Mysuru had recently developed and supplied 150T payload capacity dump truck (BH150-E) to the South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) for its Gevra project.

Mr. Hota, after the launch, said BEML has reached another milestone in its R and D efforts by launching the dump truck. “The dump truck is a tribute to the Make in India initiative from the BEML, its officers and staff.”

In his address, Mr. Sinha said 14% of equipment used for mining operations at the NCL were from BEML. This dump truck has been suitably designed for mining operations at NCL projects. He said NCL’s annual coal production has touched 100 million tonnes from 62 million tonnes and the association with BEML will continue to meet goals.

Large-scale mining

BH205-E has been developed for large-scale mining operations. It is powered by Tier-II emission complaint modular common rail electronic engine with 2300HP. The AC drive system has been engineered to provide exceptional haul road performance with reduced maintenance, according to the BEML.

The truck weighs 335 tonnes when fully loaded but it is easily manoeuvrable with power-steering and short turning radius. It has an ergonomically designed dash board and a tiltable telescopic steering wheel. Other features include good visibility in addition to safety with provisions for emergency steering, breaking and proximity warning.

B.R. Vishwanath, Director (Mining and Construction), BEML; Gunadhara Pandey, director, NCL; H.S. Ranganath, CGM, BEML; and other officers were present.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – September 11th, 2018

Hackathon throws up ideas galore by students

Education, Records, All, Science & Technology
Class IX students of Kendriya Vidyalaya in Mysuru demonstrating their solution to convert sign language into audio output at the hackathon in the city on Sunday.
Class IX students of Kendriya Vidyalaya in Mysuru demonstrating their solution to convert sign language into audio output at the hackathon in the city on Sunday.

When Sathvik S.R., a Class IX student of Kendriya Vidyalaya in Mysuru, and his classmates were unable to understand the sign language of a verbally challenged carpenter who was working in their school, they decided to do something to make it easier for him and millions of others like him.

Their invention – gloves with flex sensors that provide an audio output when fingers are moved – drew applause from the jury as well the mentors and fellow participants at the Fall Hackathon 2018 organised by Silicon RD Accelerator, a launchpad for startups, in Mysuru on Sunday.

Sathvik worked with classmates Changappa P.D., Gangadhar K.M. and Karan R., all 14-year-olds, and demonstrated how the flex sensors fixed to the glove worn by the person give certain values when bent while they communicated in sign language.

The arduino – a platform for building electronic projects comprising programmable circuit board with software that runs on computer – sends certain signals over Bluetooth for certain values that are in turn received by an application, which interprets the signals and provides an audio output along with an image.

The team, named ‘Awaaz’, tried to convince the jury that their solution was not only cost-effective, but also user-friendly. Awaaz said they would like to target NGOs that can provide a larger platform to reach millions of people with similar difficulties.

Dealing with backache

Backaches have turned out to be bane of many, especially those whose job involves a lot of desk work.

But, Ajay and his teammate Niranjan have come up with a network of sensors that not only diagnose and alert a person when she or he is slouching, but also provide solutions on maintaining the right posture.

After speaking with doctors, orthopaedics and physiotherapists, Ajay and Niranjan plan to manufacture garments including shifts, T-shirts and jackets fixed with sensors that can be customised to the requirements of an individual.

A total of 80 students and professionals comprising about 18 teams participated in the two-day Hackathon, which concluded on Sunday. The other ideas that were praised at the hackathon included a mechanical device that climbs and plucks arecanut from trees, said Sid Mukherjee, founder CEO, Silicon RD.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – Septmber 03rd,2018

Doctors use new technology for liver transplant

Records, All, Science & Technology

Normothermic Liver Perfusion can keep a liver alive outside the body for up to 24 hours

At a time when the country faces a high donor liver rejection rate due to poor quality of preservation and logistical challenges, doctors in a private hospital in Bengaluru have performed a liver transplant using ‘Normothermic Machine Perfusion’. This process can keep a liver alive outside the body for up to 24 hours by maintaining it at body temperature.

The organ recipient, 53-year-old Ashwath S.T., who was suffering from an end-stage liver disease. He became the first person in Asia to receive a liver transplant using this technology, claim doctors.

The surgery — considered the next important step forward in liver transplantation — was performed at Aster CMI Hospital using UK’s OrganOx Metra device technology, brought to India by the Hyderabad-based Duraent Lifesciences.

Sonal Asthana, Senior Hepatobiliary and Transplant Surgeon at the hospital, told The Hindu that the technology allows physicians to test how well a liver is functioning before transplant, boosting the chances of a successful transplant.

Dr. Asthana along with Rajiv Lochan, Senior Consultant and Hepato-pancreato-biliary and Transplant Surgeon, conducted the 18-hour surgery along with a team of nine doctors in April.

Livers are usually stored in ice and a preservation solution in a small box where they can be kept for 12 to 14 hours before transplant. Sometimes, those less suitable for transplant do not survive the cold and begin to deteriorate.

The new device has created a system that allows blood to circulate through the liver. When the organ is in the device that mimics the body, doctors can monitor the blood flow and letting out bile, and can better tell how it might work in a patient. The technology has only been available in Europe and the US so far.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu /  Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Special Correspondent / August 03rd, 2018

A museum in the shape of a human face

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Science & Technology
An artist’s impression of the speech and hearing museum in the shape of a human face, planned at the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing in Mysuru. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
An artist’s impression of the speech and hearing museum in the shape of a human face, planned at the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing in Mysuru. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

It will give an overview of speech and hearing, and problems affecting communication

A museum in the shape of a human face is coming up at the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH) here.

Reckoned to be one of a kind, the museum has been proposed at a cost of ₹5.21 crore to spread awareness on vocal and auditory functions, besides pathological/ dysfunctional conditions, and preventive measures.

AIISH Director Dr. S.R. Savitri told The Hindu that the institute has got the status of Centre of Excellence (COE) from the Union government; and the museum will give an overview of speech and hearing, and the problems affecting communication.

It is also planned to introduce a section on the contribution of ancient India in the field of phonetics, linguistics etc., a note from the institute said.

The basement of the museum representing the neck of a human being will have three floors each with a mezzanine. The floor, walls, and ceiling will have interactive display systems.

The museum has been planned in such a way that visitors feel as if they are entering through the brain and coming out of the lungs, larynx and the oral tract, experiencing how speech is produced, and language is encoded and decoded.

Likewise, visitors will get the feeling of entering the ear system and getting into various parts of the human ear to reach the brain, in order to learn how one listens and understands. The floor of the museum will be fitted with sensors which will lead to the central nervous system through various cranial nerves. When one touches the sensor of a particular nerve end, the sensor will glow showing the path leading to the end of the nerve, the institute’s note said.

The ceiling will have an audio-visual display showing the functions of brain. There will also be posters or large screen projections that are colourful and informative, according to the institute.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Shankar Bennur / Mysuru – July 20th, 2018